Some bands achieve fame and success and leave a lasting legacy quite undeservedly. More often than not, though, bands fail to register and sink without trace. They’re not even forgotten, because they virtually never were. This is essentially true of 90s act Dreamscape, whose entire discography consists of one 7” single and a four song EP (although they did record another four-track EP which never saw the light of day). Two members of Dreamscape – Scott Purnell and Jamie Gingell – also happen to have been the driving force behind Sarah Records stalwarts Secret Shine.
The trio never had a drummer, instead opting for an Alesis SR16 drum machine. Some people hate the things, and yes, they can be naff, but when put to good use and programmed cannily, they can be brilliant and define a band’s sound – Big Black, Metal Urbain, The Sisters of Mercy... they’d not have been the bands they were with a regular human drummer, some bozo flailing around at the back, sweating away.
Single ‘Secret Sense’ makes for a majestic and powerful opener, as dreamy guitars glide and drift across a robust drum and rounded bass swell. The whole lot envelopes Rebecca’s vocals. On ‘Finally Through’, the snare’s almost enough to take the top off your head, but it works well, as it slices through the murky bass and swirling guitar jangle to bring a precision, focus and urgency to the song, which sits somewhere between Joy Division and Cranes, thanks in part to Rawlings’ layered ethereal vocals. Gothic shadows are cast long over the rolling piano and hazy mix of ‘So Far From Belief’ and the chorus-laden spirals of ‘Dreamsleep Eternal’, both of which originally appeared on their only 12” release, the ‘Cradle EP’, (which appeared on the La-Di-Da label, hence the title of this compilation). ‘Exciting’ isn’t a word usually used to describe music of a shoegaze persuasion, but Dreamscape’s sound amalgamates that of MBV with an edgy, post-punk angle that creates a dynamic tension that is, most definitely, a cause for excitement.
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The final track, ‘No More But Thought’ is the only remaining demo of what was to be a series of new recordings which never came to fruition. Darkly haunting and beautifully atmospheric yet driving, it’s an absolute belter. It does, sadly, leave us to lament on what could have been, but any sadness should be short-lived: after all, thanks to Kranky and the release of this compilation, many who missed the band first time around (myself included) now have the opportunity to tune in and discover a genuine lost gem of a band who may finally get some long-overdue recognition.
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